The two highlights are the staging of a newly-created Kabuki drama entitled "(Kiwametsuki Indoden) MahÔbÔrata Senki"
and the revival of Namiki Gohei I's drama "Kanjin Kanmon Tekuda no Hajimari".
The former drama is based on the famous epic narrative "MahÔbhÔrata".
It is staged to celebrate the 60th anniversary in 2017 of the Cultural and Friendship Agreement between Japan and India (signed in 1957).
The latter drama was staged for the last time 23 years ago, in October 1994 at the Kabukiza.

MahÔbÔrata Senki: This is a new Kabuki production adapted for the first time from one of the
world's three greatest epics, the rest two being "Iliad" and "Odyssey" of ancient Greece.
"MahÔbhÔrata" is a mythical epic of ancient India and
one of the two greatest epics of India with "Ramayana". Here is the place where gods meet.
Many gods such as Narayana (Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugor˘), Surya (Ichikawa Sadanji),
MahÔkÔla (Band˘ Rakuzen), Indra (Nakamura Ganjir˘),
Brahma (Onoe Matsuya) and Shiva (Onoe Kikunosuke) look down on human world.
Shiva is astonished at the absurdness of human beings and laments that. Surya begets a child by very young
Princess Kunti (Nakamura Tokiz˘) and tries to make him a savior to reign over the human world peacefully.
But Indra is opposed to Surya. He also begets a child by Princess Kunti and intends to let him rule
the human world by force. Surya's child is Karna (Onoe Kikunosuke) and Indra's child is Arjuna (Onoe Matsuya).
Princess Kunti gives birth to Karna, but she floats him in Ganges. The years flow away and Karna grows
up to be a youth of born abilities. As he bids his parents farewell to travel for practicing archery,
his mother Rana (Ichimura Manjir˘) confides to him that she is not his real mother. Karna comes to the capital
where five princes including Arjuna, who are brought up in a royal family, are in rivalry in throne against
Karna's cousins, Princess Duryodha (Nakamura Shichinosuke) and her brother. Hermit Krishna (Living National Treasure Onoe Kikugor˘) arbitrates that and they agree to decide
in a tournament who deserves the throne. Karna also takes part in the tournament and confronts Prince Arjuna,
but he is mistreated as his origin is unknown. Noticing that Karna is her son whom she floated in Ganges,
Princess Kunti falls senseless and the tournament is called off. Karna bears a grudge against the five
princes and he goes with Princess Duryodha. More years pass and the rivalry in throne becomes harder.
Prince Arjuna laments vanity that they relatives oppose each other,
but the war begins in Kurukshetra. Karna takes Princess Duryodha's side and confronts the five princes
including his predestined rival, Prince Arjuna.

Hototogisu Koj˘ no Rakugetsu: although in the late 16th century
Toyotomi Hideyoshi ruled Japan, after his death, control quickly passed to
Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the fate of Hideyoshi's clan, his wife Yodogimi and
young son Hideyori was sealed in a series of battles over their stronghold,
ďsaka castle. First performed in 1905, this is a play by Tsubouchi Sh˘y˘,
famous as the first translator of Shakespeare's plays. The mad scenes of
Yodogimi as the clan goes down to defeat are reminiscent of those of Lady
Macbeth and have turned out to be the source of the enduring popularity of
the play. Featuring Living National Treasure Band˘ Tamasabur˘ as Yodogimi in a
role created by Nakamura Utaemon V and
carried on by his son, Nakamura Utaemon VI.

Kanjin Kanmon Tekuda no Hajimari:
This work is a jidaimono history play based on the case of a
Korean ambassador who was killed by the interpreter Suzuki Denz˘ in ďsaka in 1764. Izuminosuke,
the young lord of the Sagara clan, was ordered to entertain the Chinese ambassador, and so he hosts Go Saikan (Kataoka Kamez˘)
in the pleasure quarters in Nagasaki. Go Saikan's love for the courtesan Meizan (Nakamura Yonekichi) is unrequited because
she loves Izuminosuke. Go Saikan is in a bad humor as she did not accompany him to the beach,
but he comes around with the wit of the interpreter K˘sai Tenz˘ (Nakamura Shikan). Tsuzuki Denshichi (Nakamura Ganjir˘), the chief retainer of the
Sagara clan, is at a loss because he has lost the spearhead of the treasured heirloom spear which
is to be offered to the Chinese ambassador. Furthermore, he cannot raise enough money to redeem Meizan.
Tenz˘ promises Denshichi to authorize the offered spearhead as genuine even if it should be a fake.
In fact, Tenz˘ loves the courtesan Takao and intends to ask Denshichi to act as a go-between.
Hearing Takao say that she is in love with Denshichi, Tenz˘ burns with anger. Wearing a Chinese garment,
he takes the place of the sick Chinese ambassador and reveals that the spearhead is a fake.
Thus humiliated, Denshichi slays Tenz˘ in the inner garden of Kokubunji Temple.

Aki no Irokusa:(Various Flowers of Autumn)
This work was originally composed in 1845 as Nagauta music to celebrate
the completion of the retreat for the lord of the Nanbu clan in Edo, and it was performed as a dance later.
The lyrics include various plants of autumn such as wild bush clover, pampas grass and patrinia scabiosaefolia
in its verse and is known as an excellent piece about that season. It is autumn. Various flowers of
autumn bloom and the chirping of pine crickets is heard. A lady (Living National Treasure Band˘ Tamasabur˘) who stands quietly listening to the
chirping insects, remembers the old story that King Xiang of the ancient Zhou (Shű in Japanese) dynasty had an affair with
the goddess of the Wu Mountains (Fuzan in Japanese) in a dream, and she compares it to her own love. Having thought about her lover,
she realizes that the pleasure of the four seasons does not change after many years and begins to dance.

Kameyama no Adauchi:(The Blood Revenge at Kameyama)
The January evening program at the Sh˘chikuza is a full-length revival of a
play first performed in 1822 written by Tsuruya Nanboku IV (1755~1829),
who is famous for his plays with sex, ghosts and grotesque humor.
The play is based on the story of an actual vendetta, which was a favorite theme of
Nanboku's. He dramatized the story four separate times.
The play shows the villain Fujita Mizuemon and his fierce struggle with those
who are trying to kill him to avenge the death of a man he killed in a rivalry
over fighting skills. In scene after scene, there is a tense struggle to see who
will kill whom. But the play is also filled with generous doses of
Nanboku's black humor. The scene shifts abruptly from the raucous noise and
laughter of the pleasure quarters to a grim scene in a crematory where Mizuemon
attempts to escape his pursuers by disguising himself as a corpse and hiding
in a casket. There is the thrill of seeing the actor play Mizuemon instantly
change to his rival Hachirobŕ. Then there is the confusion among several caskets,
ending with the sudden appearance of the living Mizuemon from the casket
in the midst of the flames. Starring Kataoka Nizaemon in the roles of Fujita Mizuemon and Hachirobŕ.
Featuring Nakamura Jakuemon as the geisha Otsuma,
Kataoka Hidetar˘ as the Ishii k˘shitsu Teirin, Kamimura Kichiya as Tanbaya Oriki,
Nakamura Karoku as ďgishi Tanomo, Band˘ Yajűr˘ as Kakezuka Kanbei and Hotoke Sakusuke,
Nakamura Kinnosuke as Ishii Gennoj˘, Kataoka Takatar˘ as Gennoj˘'s wife Omatsu and Nakamura Matagor˘ as Ishii Hy˘suke and the servant Sodesuke.

Kumagai Jin'ya: this play is a dramatization of the clash between the Genji general Kumagai Jir˘ Naozane
and the Heike warrior Taira no Atsumori at the battle of Ichi-no-Tani, one of the most famous passages of the epic
"Tales of the Heike". In the Kabuki version, on the cryptic orders of the Genji leader Yoshitsune,
Kumagai hides the enemy warrior Atsumori and has his own son take the warrior's place.
On the battlefield, Kumagai has to kill his own son in Atsumori's place.
Things become worse when his wife Sagami and Atsumori's mother Fuji-no-Kata arrive at his camp.
In the highlight of the play, he tells them the story of his mortal battle with Atsumori, keeping Atsumori's well-being and his own sacrifice a secret.
He then shows the head of Atsumori for inspection by his leader to see if he has interpreted his orders correctly.
This performance stars Nakamura Hashinosuke as Kumagai under the supervision of Living National Treasure Kataoka Nizaemon.

The October kaomise programs in Nagoya. As the Misonoza closed
in Spring 2013 for rebuilding, these programs are staged at the Nihon Tokushu T˘gy˘ Shimin Kaikan for the 5th time, a venue commonly called NTK Hall in Nagoya. This is the last kaomise at the NTK Hall
as the Misonoza will reopen in April 2018.

Shigenoi Kowakare:(Shigenoi's Parting from her Son)
This play was adapted from the Bunraku puppet
theater and was written by its greatest playwright, Chikamatsu Monzaemon I.
A young horse driver is invited to help cheer up a little princess.
But the boy happens to be the son of the princess's nurse, Shigenoi (Nakamura Kaishun).
She was forced to abandon him since he was the result of a forbidden relationship.
Now she must turn her back on him again to keep any shame from falling on
the princess. Featuring also Living National Treasure Nakamura T˘z˘.

Banch˘ Sarayashiki: the story of Okiku, who became a ghost after
breaking one of a precious set of plates and being killed in punishment by a
quick-tempered lord, is one of the most famous in Japanese tradition.
But this is a modern play, which transforms the ghost story into a portrait of
the interaction of contrasting and incompatable personalities. The samurai lord
Aoyama Harima (Nakamura Baigyoku) is passionate and quick to fight and is in the middle of a
fight when he is stopped by his aunt. She has arranged a marriage for him and
Harima is unable to admit that the reason he will not marry is because he
is deeply in love with Okiku (Nakamura Kazutar˘), a lady-in-waiting in his household. As strong as
Harima is, his aunt's will is much stronger. But this makes Okiku wonder
about the strength of Harima's love for her and she tests him by breaking
one of a set of heirloom plates. When she tests Harima's feelings,
this seals her fate and sets the tragedy of the play in motion.
Featuring also Kataoka Ainosuke.

Haru o Kasanete Shikai Nami: This is a newly-created Kabuki drama based on a Kigeki drama, which was written by Ikkai Gyojin, who was in reality the Shinkigeki actor Soganoya Gor˘.
It was was premiered at the Eirakukan in November 2016.
The plot concerns a beautiful young girl called Namiji (Nakamura Kazutar˘). Her father, Okitsu Shunsai (Nakamura Jűjir˘) is a martial
arts coach, and is a master of the Itt˘-ryű school of swordsmanship. He has trained his daughter too, and she
is now as good a swordsman as he is. However, he has been unable to find a suitable husband for Namiji
within his clan, and has had to look elsewhere for a candidate for his daughterĺs hand. To this end,
a handsome young Samurai called Takasago Tanomo (Kataoka Ainosuke), who is from another clan ľ and another school of
swordsmanship - comes a-wooing. It is instantly obvious that the pair are exceptionally well-suited,
and they fall in love. However, the course of true love never did run smooth, and Namijiĺs father seems to
have made it a condition of marriage that if her suitor is not from their school of swordsmanship then to prove
his worth he must be able to beat her in a friendly contest, using wooden practice swords.
Namiji fights hard ľ rather too hard actually, because she wins. Exit her forlorn suitor, looking broken-hearted.
After twenty years, Tanomo comes a-courting again. Once again itĺs obvious that the couple are still in love.
And once again the practice swords are brought out ľ and Namiji wins. The love lorn suitor leaves for a
second time. Twenty-five years pass. By now the couple are old and grey.
Once again, the wooden swords are brought out. But ultimately Tanomo manages to knock the sword out of
Namijiĺs hand. At the third attempt all is well, and the couple can at last be united!Based on a summary written by Marion Hudson

Ninokuchi-mura: in the pleasure quarters, the most important possessions were money and reputation.
In danger of losing his lover, the courtesan Umegawa (Nakamura Kaishun), the money courier Chűbŕ (Nakamura Baigyoku) breaks the seals on a
package of money entrusted to him after being taunted by a rival, even though the use of such money is punishable
by death. In this scene, on their way to love suicide, the couple go through the snow covered landscape on
their way to the man's home town where they will meet their end. Nakamura Baigyoku also plays the role of Chűbŕ's father Magoemon.

Renjishi: 2 entertainers dance a tale of the legendary shishi or lion-like spirits that live at the foot of a
holy Buddhist mountain. There is a comic interlude with 2 Buddhist pilgrims. Then, the shishi themselves appear and perform their dance with wild shaking of their long manes.
The dance shows a parent shishi forcing his cub to undergo harsh training in order to grow up strong.
This theme is often associated with the training a parent actor gives his son.
This performance features Kataoka Ainosuke in the role of the parent shishi and
Nakamura Kazutar˘ in the role of the cub.

ONE PIECE: "ONE PIECE", a big hit comic of Japan, and Super Kabuki II by Ichikawa Ennosuke IV make a miraculous
collaboration! The largest-scale project ever begins! "ONE PIECE" has started
since the July 1997 issue of Weekly Sh˘nen Jump. As a book, the first volume was published in December 1997
and gained a national reputation soon. The series reach 77 volumes and the number of copies printed of
the series is more than the world record 320,000,000, so it was awarded Guinness World Record as the
most printed comic series by a writer in June 2015. Ichikawa Ennosuke IV is one of star Kabuki actors who will bear the next
generation. He challenges aggressively to classic kabuki and new kabuki with rich expression and unique
personality. He succeeded to the spirit of Super Kabuki which had been originated by his uncle
Ichikawa Ennosuke III (Ichikawa Enĺ˘ II) and performed "Sora o Kizamu Mono" [A Man who sculptures the Sky] as the first play
of Super Kabuki II in March and April 2014, which resulted in a great success. It is a marine adventure
roman by the hero Luffy (Ichikawa Ennosuke) who explores the ocean with his diverse crew of pirates,
named the Straw Hat Pirates, in search of the world ultimate treasure known as ONE PIECE
in order to become the next Pirate King. The Straw Hat Pirates broke up in the battle against the navy at Sabaody
Islands, the entrance to the new world, the next step to the big navigation in search of the world
ultimate treasure. Luffy became alone, hears of his brother Aceĺs execution and hurries to rescue him.
Luffy is able to break through the navyĺs barricade, but Ace has already been transferred to the navy
head quarter. Luffy and the Straw Hat Pirates fight Summit Battle against the navy at its head quarter!
Important: Due to an injury at one arm, Ichikawa Ennosuke stopped performing from the 10th of October.
He was replaced for the roles of Luffy and Hancock by Onoe Ukon.
The roles of Sadie and Marco, initially performed by Onoe Ukon, were played by Band˘ Shingo and Nakamura Hayato.

Migawari Zazen: a dance play adopted from a classical ky˘gen farce.
A man (Ichikawa Ebiz˘) wants nothing more than to visit his lover Hanako,
but he has one important problem, his homely and overbearing wife (Kataoka Ichiz˘).
He creates a scheme saying that he will be practicing Zen meditation all night
and has his servant (Ichikawa Kudanji) take his place while he visits Hanako.
He returns, giddy from a night of pleasure and
tells his story to his servant in dance, unaware that his wife has discovered
his deception and has taken his servant's place.

Otokodate Hana no Yoshiwara: Gosho no Goroz˘ (Ichikawa Ebiz˘), the most gallant and chivalrous of men in the capital
of Edo, is off to the bustling Nakanoch˘ corner of the
Yoshiwara pleasure district. He has received a love letter from his
lover, a famous keisei in Yoshiwara.
Goroz˘ tells us the story of how they met and their many rendezvous in a dance. On his way, he is ambushed by
men who hold a grudge against him, but Goroz˘ effortlessly fends them off and continues on his way to his beloved.

44th edition of Koten Gein˘ Kansh˘ Kai (literally the "Classics Entertainment Appreciation Association"), a yearly performance produced by the National TV network NHK. The program
includes traditional music, one ky˘gen and one Kabuki drama.

Shunkan: the priest Shunkan (Nakamura Shikan) has been exiled to Devil's Island for
plotting against the dictator Kiyomori. A pardon is given to his fellow conspirators, but
Shunkan is only saved by an additional pardon given by Kiyomori's compassionate son. Even so,
he gives up his place on the boat to freedom so his companion's new wife can accompany
her husband back to the capital. The boat leaves and Shunkan is left watching is disappear
in the distance, knowing he will be left on the island forever.
Featuring Band˘ Yajűr˘ as the evil emissary Senoo and Living National Treasure Nakamura T˘z˘ as
the merciful envoy Tanzaemon. With Nakamura Kotar˘ as the island girl Chidori and Nakamura Hashinosuke as Naritsune,
Shunkan's fellow exile who has fallen in love with her.

A special Buy˘ program starring the amazing Living National Treasure onnagataBand˘ Tamasabur˘
at the Yachiyoza, a traditional wooden-built theater. For the first time, with these programs, there will be a mix of video projection (with video sequences coming from the high-quality Shinema Kabuki, "Cinema Kabuki") and real dancing on stage.
In "Sagi Musume", only the opening sequence is video-projected. Most of the dance will be performed on staged by Band˘ Tamasabur˘.
"Musume D˘j˘ji", the travel scene (michiyuki) is skipped and the kaneiri scene ("entering the bell") is video-projected.
Others main scenes, like the koi no tenarai scene ("learning about love"), are staged.

K˘j˘: the close relationship between the actors and the audience
is shown by stage announcements, usually lavish ceremonies to commemorate various
important events. This month at the Yachiyoza, it is a stage speech done by Living National Treasure Band˘ Tamasabur˘.

Musume D˘j˘ji: a beautiful young woman dances under cherry blossoms
at a dedication ceremony for a temple bell. She dances the many aspects of a
woman in love, but is actually the spirit of a serpent, driven to destroy the
bell out of jealousy. In addition to being the most famous of all Kabuki dances,
"Musume D˘j˘ji" is considered to be the pinnacle of the art of the onnagata.
The role of the shiraby˘shi
is played by Living National Treasure Band˘ Tamasabur˘.

Inabune: Inabune, literally Rice Boat, refers to the narrow open barges used to transport
sheaves of rice at harvest time. This dance portrays the feeling of a courtesan (Living National Treasure Band˘ Tamasabur˘) who is obliged to wait
for an absent lover.

Sagi Musume: one of the most famous dances in Kabuki, this figure is familiar through
pictures and Japanese dolls. A beautiful young woman all in white appears in the snowy landscape.
She dances lightly of love, but then reveals that she is the spirit of a bird, a magnificent heron
that struggles wounded through a snowstorm. Starring onnagata
superstar Living National Treasure Band˘ Tamasabur˘ in a dance that he has made famous through performances around the world.

A special Kabuki dance program which is part of the 2017 edition of the ďsaka Culture and Arts Festival (ďsaka Bunka Geijutsu Fesu):

Ayatsuri Sanbas˘:(The Puppet Sanbas˘)
The Sanbas˘ is part of the ritual N˘ play "Okina",
a prayer for prosperity and in Kabuki the vigorous Sanbas˘ dance
is often performed separately. To make the dance especially auspicious, the old man
Okina and attendant Senzai appear as well. In Kabuki, the Sanbas˘ dance
appears in all kinds of versions. In this particular version, the Sanbas˘ is
actually a giant marionette (Nakamura Ganjir˘), dancing lightly until his antics tangle his strings,
creating problems for his puppeteer (Nakamura Tanenosuke). Featuring also Kataoka Ainosuke and Nakamura Kazutar˘ as Okina and Senzai.

Shiraby˘shi no Hana no En:(The flowery Banquet of the shiraby˘shi)
In the medieval period there were beautiful dancers called shiraby˘shi
who wore male court costume. they were famous for dances called otoko mai or "male dance".
In this dance, Nakamura Kazutar˘ evokes one of these beauties of ancient Japan.

Tsuri Onna: a dance based on a classical Ky˘gen farce.
A master (Nakamura Tanenosuke) longs for a wife and is told by the gods in a dream to go fishing for one.
He is united with a beautiful princess (Nakamura Kazutar˘). His servant Tar˘kaja (Kataoka Ainosuke) wants a
wife as well, but when he goes fishing, is stuck with a very surprising companion,
played by Nakamura Ganjir˘ in a rare, humorous, female role.